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Various cities in Iran witness protest rallies

Reporting by PMOI/MEK

Iran, October 5, 2020—Poverty is running rampant in Iran and many people are finding it exceedingly difficult to make ends meet. This is resulting in more protests by various sectors of Iran’s society.

More than 70 percent of Iran’s workers are earning wages that only cover a mere 33 percent of their daily expenses, according to an October 4 report wired by the regime’s semi-official ILNA news agency.

These statistics are based on the "food basket" rate set by the cabinet of regime president Hassan Rouhani since last February.

“Now, if decisions about wages are to be more justified and according to the law, there is no criterion more valid than the food basket. In February, government officials recognized the price of 49.4 million rials (about $357) for a standard food basket. However, when it came to negotiations about wages, they continued to resort to the pretext of the country’s poor economy, the novel coronavirus outbreak, a slump in the market and a thousand other things to escape from abiding by the law,” the ILNA report added.

An increase of more than 32 percent in the food basket price means that a in September a worker’s family needs to spend 30 percent more in comparison to the month of March only to place food on the table.

Workers’ families are currently facing an increase of 4.9 million rials (about $22) in food prices within the past six months. And in a situation where "paycheck raises" are completely ignored, this already deprived sector of Iran’s society is facing even more pains and sufferings.

The effects of these changes can be seen in ongoing labor protests in different Iranian cities.

On Saturday, October 3, family members of retired steel factory workers held a protest rally in front of the regime’s Interior Ministry building in Tehran, demanding officials address the issue of their delayed salaries.

 

Workers of the Ramin power plant in the city of Ahwaz, southeast Iran, continued their protest—October 3, 2020

Workers of the Ramin power plant in the city of Ahvaz, southeast Iran, continued their protest—October 3, 2020

 

On Saturday, for the second time workers of the Ramin power plant in the city of Ahvaz, southern Iran, continued their protest in demands for job security. These workers are also protesting the company’s transfer to the private sector, with a 49 percent of the company shares transferred to a private sector to this day.

These 950 workers say their job security would be at risk if the company’s ownership is transferred to the private sector.

 

Telecommunications Company workers rallying in Tehran, Iran—October 3, 2020

Telecommunications Company workers rallying in Tehran, Iran—October 3, 2020

 

On Saturday, a group of workers of the Telecommunications Company held a protesting rally outside the Ministry of Communications in Tehran.

Holding placards the protesting workers were seen chanting, “Telecommunications Company, shame on you, pay attention to our rights,” demanding their legitimate rights.

They also sought a return to work for their expelled coworkers and their specific jobs to undergo classification in order to receive just salaries.

These protesters were from the Shascom and TCI1 companies.

 

Nurses holding a rally outside the regime’s Majlis (parliament) in Tehran, Iran—October 4, 2020

Nurses holding a rally outside the regime’s Majlis (parliament) in Tehran, Iran—October 4, 2020

 

A group of health care workers and nurses held a rally in front of the Majlis (parliament) building in Tehran on October 4, protesting their lack of job security, officials changing their employment classification, and their job status remaining in limbo.

A group of nurses from hospitals in the city of Urmia, northwest Iran, gathered in front of the governor's office on Monday, protesting the fact that their paychecks have been delayed for several months.

“We want to put an end to discrimination in our contracts,” the protesters said.

They also demanded their “special nursing bonus” to be paid for and called on the Ministry of Health to pay attention to their living conditions.

On Saturday, October 3, state hospital nurses in the city of Isfahan, central Iran, gathered in front of the Isfahan Medical Sciences University, demanding their overtime work pay, an end to discrimination, their special nursing bonus and a change to their employment status.

 

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